Pirates of the Caribbean: The legend of Ruby-Rose
A beautiful orange glow spread across the dying afternoon as the sun slowly slipped down against the horizon, leaving a trail of shimmering gold along the ocean's surface. The sunbeam stretched out along the splintered timbers of the Black Pearl, tracing it's warmth along Captain Jack Sparrow's tall and rigid figure, a month he had been at sea – Four weeks worth of joy, relief and reflection of finally ridding himself of an almost impossible foe and reclaiming what was his…the beloved Black Pearl.
He leaned across the wheel as his thoughts drifted back to the present: he had escaped Port Royal and the wrath of Governor Swann only to set sail towards another that of his father Caleb Sparrow, the inevitable estrangement due to the relentless quest to get his ship back was the least of his worries. The image of a damsel that had haunted him for eight years was now weighing heavy on his weary mind, a damsel of a fiery-spirited nature with locks as red and wild as the flame in her heart. Jack was not on the best of terms with either of them yet here he was travelling to a home he had not seen for almost a decade.
"Glorious day to be at sea Cap'n" a gruff voice hollered
Joshamee Gibbs rapturous roar drummed loudly into Jack's ear, thrashing him out of the daydream. Jack turned to his first mate unimpressed with the man's cheerfulness.
"Indeed it is Mister Gibbs, 'tis a pity that as the day nears it's end so does our journey. How I wish it could begin again" Jack grumbled quietly
"Ah Jack, of all the unruly, unabashed seadogs in all of the Spanish Maine you rank with the best of them"
The casual compliment prompted a smile along Jack's bearded face; he nodded to his friend in silent gratitude for lifting the mood a little. Without a word Gibbs took the wheel and Jack headed for his quarters where he would take stock of what was ahead of him.
"So what does the great Jack Sparrow fear today, reprisal or rejection?" Ana Maria goaded as she wandered from her post towards the sombre captain.
"It does not surprise me in the slightest that you of all people would tease me at such a time as this" Jack slurred irritably
"What do you expect Jack I am her friend, I witnessed the pain you put her through and also the progress of her transformation. Accept it or not, it was of your own doing" Ana Maria huffed as a gust of wind swept through her hair and along the sleeves of her shirt.
"Well from the looks of things my comeuppance will be arriving shortly, now if you don't mind I'd like to be left alone and think of ways to deal with it" –
Jack stumbled into his private room and slammed the door behind him, he sighed at the past mistakes which were returning to him with a vengeance. He slumped into his chair and allowed his mind to once again focus on the red-haired damsel, whom if tales were true had become the femme fatale of all pirates. At the tender age of twenty-five she had pillaged and plundered half a dozen frigates and two merchant ships, showing unusual mercy to her captors yet stealing all they had. She also had a reputation – which was yet to be proven – of being a bit of a harlot teasing and entertaining wealthy gentlemen who would only find their full purses pinched by the sobering light of the morning after. She had a tendency of exploiting her new-found notoriety much like Jack had done with his own career in piracy, the damsel's trademark was wearing clothes the colour of crimson.
It was strange to think now that they had once been friends; at one point it had the potential of being something else. But that was before the planned raid of Cortez's gold, Barbossa's betrayal and the obsessive search for the Black Pearl. For fourteen years she had been Caleb Sparrow's ward, her name was Olivia Arlington Sparrow, everyone else knew her as Ruby-Rose.
The hour was late by the time the Black Pearl cruised into Havana's harbour, there was a chill in the air and the thick clouds that towered above the Cuban bay equalled Jack's conscience bleak and dreary. Despite the bad weather, the town was still bustling with drunks, mercenaries and the rag-tag motley crews that only a hamlet of piracy would know. Olivia Arlington-Sparrow bounded along the pier oblivious of the ship that was coming to port for she was too distracted by the prize she won at a poker game: A small chest made of polished mahogany was tucked under her arm. In this chest was a pleasing amount of three-hundred gold pieces, the subsequent loss of her fellow pirates foolish in their gambling. After winning it fairly, collecting the loot was a meaner feat that involved a bit of punching, kicking and generally dashing away from the scene as fast as she could.
"Father, I come with good tidings and a pleasant bounty" Olivia chortled sarcastically as she entered the cottage.
She found her foster father tending to some documents as he sat quietly in his chair. If she wasn't relishing her victory so much his silence would have caught her guard.
"Liv, pirates do not calculate much of their booty but there is a pattern emerging in your pillaging which I can no longer ignore" He said softly.
"Oh and what is this calculation you have made?" Olivia replied her independence streak coursed through the words. She had been a capable pirate since she was eighteen so skilled was she that her father had allowed the girl to command his ship The Oracle which had been in her possession for the past two years. She was confident at best, blasé and abrupt at worst and she was fully aware what the old man had discovered.
"I would feel more at ease if you expanded your hunting prowess – not to go after just one particular merchant's fleet -it is most unwise" Caleb said through gritted teeth, he was a gracious man with very little patience.
"So I'm sticking with the same boring route, who cares? As long as the goods keep coming I'm on safe ground or rather…Safe Ocean"
Olivia could see that her joke was ill-timed and unwanted, Caleb's hazel eyes were full of rage it was only a matter of time before the anger was vented.
"You hail the business of a ruthless and malevolent Lord Arlington, a thorn in your side me dear that you have yet to remove?" Caleb scolded, he did not raise his voice but the remark still stung Olivia's heart and still she kept up the charade.
"A thorn in your side dad, not mine" –
Olivia placed the box on the table with a tense fist, the loot inside it jingled as she brought the chest heavily enough to end the discussion. She stomped into the lounge with her back arched and her fists clenched tight, it had been a long day and she was ready to turn in for the night.
"Ruby-Rose, I never have dictated what you do with your life I merely advise and hope for the best. I'd like to think I've done a much better job with you than I did with Jack, remember people like us cannot afford to be foolhardy" Caleb whispered
Once her alias was mentioned she knew that there was no longer a debate between foster father and adopted daughter, it was one pirate to another. Ironically when her father would call her by that name, it would be in a matter of seriousness and the only time she would pay her undivided attention to him. She sheepishly nodded as she took in her guardian's wise words and walked to the corner where she poured a glass of sherry and sat on the wide window pane. As she watched the world go by she caught sight of a tall silhouette that was walking towards her front door, she sipped the sherry and looked up at the gloomy sky.
"If that's Laurie tell him that I won that prize with an honestly-made royal flush and he may win some of it back if he's nice about it" Ruby-Rose chuckled, smiling into the glass tumbler as she heard her father grumble under his breath.
The delicate ring of the doorbell sounded the unfortunate gambler's arrival and prompted more grumbling from Caleb for he was in no mood for scoundrels. Ruby-Rose stifled a giggle as she leaned over the edge and expected to hear the sorrowful ramblings of one Thomas Laurie, she felt a little curious when there was none to be heard. She heard the muffled voice of her father but could not hear her guest's; she stood up off the whitewash ledge and walked toward the noise. The candelabra was burning brightly in the hall, she froze as she gazed at the sight of the man who stood at the foot of the stairs: His grey banyan was spread over his shoulders, his Monmouth cap gripped tightly in his nervous hands. A faint smile appeared on his olive-skinned face, hazel eyes – his father's eyes – hid relief and perhaps a little shyness Captain Jack Sparrow had returned to the family fold
"Hello Ruby-Rose, I do believe you are the sweetest sight these sore eyes have ever seen" Jack grinned as he tried to mask his anxiety but was betrayed by the pathetic warble in his voice.
The pirate princess briefly smiled at the roving wanderer who had returned to her, she looked at her father who seemed to be dazed at the unexpected arrival. If she thought about it she felt probably just as dazed as the old man. She was too shocked to say anything and only managed to murmur his name, she did not feel delighted nor angry but after a long pause the latter was soon remedied.
"Who do you think you are just swaggering in here after so long? You are a man of many surprises Jack but this by far your most outrageous stunt yet" The girl scorned
"It's good to see you too my dearest love" He said coolly
Caleb Sparrow was leaning against the wall, his head was bowed his Incan-designed earring dangling over his jaw. The constant flow of one crisis after another was getting to him but troubles were all part of a pirate's lifestyle, it saddened him that he was not the daredevil pirate he once was.
"Jack I pray on all that is holy that you have not brought bad tidings to our door because frankly we have plentiful of of our own"
Jack hesitantly looked at his father; time had been a little unkind to him his skin was now riddled with wrinkles, deep lines of old age cut deeply into his cheeks and forehead.
"Thought I would reacquaint myself with the old town, try to make amends or at least attempt to"
"You really are quite the audacious scoundrel…commandeering a naval ship, having half the fleet on your tail, dodging the West-India Trade. We have far too much on our plate to aide you" Ruby-Rose scoffed.
Jack Sparrow was hurt by the apathy, his dark eyes held a few seconds of sorrow before they turned to frustration. Hiding behind his alter-ego of being the most daring pirate of the Spanish Maine he carried on…
"You dare to scold me young miss but your reputation isn't exactly purity itself. You steal just as well as I, you goad men who serve two different monarchs just as well as I..." He trailed off, uncertain whether to continue his cruelty but anger clouded his judgement and he continued with a whisper
"…You take advantage of the wealthy just as well or perhaps much more skilfully than I, so save your breath Ruby-Rose".
The insulted girl was furious, she knew that people talked of how she would acquire a gentleman's purse but she never dreamed it would be on the lips of someone she loved and hated in equal measure. She threw her arm up into the air intent on a fist striking the offender's face it was blocked by her father's own hand a stare of disapproval glaring at her.
"Blaggard" She spat
"Floozy" Jack retorted
"Swine!" –
"Hussey" –
The etiquette of a man and a woman were harshly taught within the upper-classes, pirates on the other hand discarded this social habit as often as they liked. Caleb Sparrow was appalled at his children's conduct but reluctantly decided to keep out of the fracas. Ruby-Rose whose hands were still held by her father kicked Jack in the shin as the energy to keep enraged was swiftly leaving her.
"That's ENOUGH!" Caleb yelled finally, shoving the warring pair in opposite directions. Both Jack and Ruby-Rose panted heavily and gazed at each other in silence. Somehow within those minutes of reflection the pirate princess's anger had disappeared and her gaze softened.
"Why Jack, why stay away so long and expect a warm welcome? All you cared about was that boat of yours and getting your own back on Barbossa" She whimpered
"Barbossa is dead, I've had my vengeance I have the Black Pearl and now I plan to gather all of what he took from me" –
With this statement Jack offered a steady hand to his father who slowly took it before shaking it firmly. Not willing to acknowledge his own son so coldly Caleb put his arms around him and gave him a careful hug, Jack was stunned and affectionately patted his old man on the back.
The three of them eventually sat down and talked about old times and a few of their own adventures. Ruby-Rose was wary at first but was soon telling the men her own colourful tales of skulduggery, their laughter was cautious and the small talk simple. Hours passed and Ruby-Rose stood up from her seat and straightened up her Crimson coloured jacket and adjusted the red ribbon that tied her hair back..
"I think I'll spend the night on The Oracle, you two have a lot to talk about so I'll take my leave" She said stifling a yawn, she carefully took the casket away and locked in a cabinet.
"You don't have to leave on my account, love. The air is chilly and I doubt the cabin would be much of a comfort away from it" Jack said softly, Love was word that he used a lot - No thanks love, a bottle of the good stuff love, there isn't any other woman love. The word was part of his vocabulary and it had been a long time since it had any particular meaning, in fact the only person he used it truthfully with was with the woman who stood before him.
"No, no it's fine Jacoby I have to be up at Cockcrow anyway. A great deal of cleaning and careening has to be done to the ship's hull, I'd like to get things done before the maid-" Ruby-Rose stopped still in her reply, she had relaxed too easily in his company and now almost tore apart her own plan! She quickly turned to the door and spun around to catch her pistol brace and sword that was thrown to her by Caleb.
"You watch yourself Missy, lock your cabin door and keep your weapons at arm's length do you hear me?" Caleb warned gruffly. Ruby-Rose nodded and headed out into the night.
"You may disapprove of her conduct and my decision to let her out so late but her transformation from Pirate's daughter to Pirate Princess occurred many years ago. If you knew what I knew you would have no reason to fear" Caleb explained as he pushed his chair back far enough to stretch his legs out onto the table's edge. He found his son with a warmer more genuine smile on his face.
"What's up with you now?"
"Nothing it's just….hearing the name Jacoby. I never realised I would miss that nickname until she spoke it just now, I never realised how much I would miss…" Again Jack trailed off his sentences only this time he didn't continue. Caleb watched his son's face and sighed for he had an idea what Jack was hiding from him.
"Was there any way of allowing Ruby-Rose to lead a respectable life, of becoming a lady" Jack quivered at the shame of doubting her, but doubt her he did and he was pretty sure that Ruby-Rose doubted him too.
"She is a lady…of sorts: I'm disappointed in you my lad. She will shed light on the matter of her promiscuity when she is ready. Rumours are hurtful even more so if her own kin believe them"
"My punishment for being away too long, for letting her out of my grasp" –
"That would have happened anyway Jack she was engaged briefly when she was twenty to an Anthony Roivas" Caleb said rather matter-of-factly.
"Oh what happened? You made sure he treated her well didn't you?" –
"In the beginning he was a very likeable chap but he soon uncovered the family business of piracy. Last we heard the press gang shanghaied him and now he's in the navy"
"From lover to enemy now where have I heard that before" Jack grinned
Thankfully for Jack his father changed the subject to more nostalgic things; their emigration from Europe, the orphan that adopted them and first grand voyage of the mighty Black Pearl.